My sleep cycle is very flexible, in part because I do not have any electronic entertainment devices in my bedroom, and also because I eschew methylated xanthines (caffeine). Sleep problems? Less TV, etc. in the bedroom and less stimulants in the system are a good start. People have unmanageability around their sleep life, because they permit external things to gain control over it. When I want to adjust my sleep schedule, I don't have to worry about changing my caffeine schedule or worry about my system not adjusting to the changed caffeine schedule.

Sleep science is still developing, there are many different questions, and theories about what sleep is and why it is needed. (Total deprivation results in psychosis and death). During the 16 hour day, the central nervous system absorbs a lot of stimuli, (even though much of it is filtered out). During sleep time, the brain can decide which stimuli to store in long, or short, or medium term memory; and also organize (make sense of) the input from the past 16 hours. Also, emotions/feelings that are repressed during the day are allowed to be expressed.

We've spoken with a few clinicians and some researchers, and we've also spent a little time studying the literature regarding sleep.

The popular treatments for sleep disorders today focuses a lot on "blue light in the morning", and the consensus view seems to include avoiding blue light within two hours of sleep. Practitioners we've spoken with agree that blue light can delay the onset of sleep, but the research seems mixed about whether or not blue light affects the quality of sleep.

"Bauer and his team designed a research app for Android phones, which tells the user when it is time to take a nap, when it would be good idea to go for a jog, or when the user could have a coffee or a beer. The application assumes that an activity at the wrong time of the day could impact healthy sleep at night. Bauer hopes that the app can impact users and make them think twice about certain activities: "Based on our literature, we found that caffeine can affect your sleep up to 14 hours before you go to sleep," Bauer said. "So if you have caffeine 2 hours after you're awake, you start getting to the edge of what could affect your next sleep."

... and also because I eschew methylated xanthines (caffeine). Sleep problems? Less TV, etc. in the bedroom and less stimulants in the system are a good start. People have unmanageability around their sleep life, because they permit external things to gain control over it. When I want to adjust my sleep schedule, I don't have to worry about changing my caffeine schedule or worry about my system not adjusting to the changed caffeine schedule.

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"Polyphenols or flavonoids, the type of antioxidants found in coffee, are also found in other foods and drinks, like tea, red wine, and chocolate. All three have been proven to moderately help brain function, a benefit that can't be chalked up to caffeine, says Vinson, who has received speaking fees from the National Coffee Association. Caffeine, the most commonly used drug in the U.S., says Vinson, does affect alertness, but hasn't been found to offer much in the way of health benefits.

Polyphenols are the "the good guys in coffee," says Vinson. "If you're not interested in keeping alert, then it seems decaf coffee would be your best bet."

"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, tells WebMD. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

"Caffeine can stimulate the brain and nervous system, and thus help fight fatigue and boost athletic performance. Two cups of coffee can usually give you an athletic boost."

In other article I read that its suggested to slowly drink your coffee, avoiding rush of caffeine at once.

Symptoms"Dopamine deficiency can result in simple to complex symptoms. People often appear depressed. Signs of depression are lack of interest in their lives, no motivation, procrastination and the inability to feel pleasure. They sleep a lot and have difficulty getting up in the morning. Other symptoms of low dopamine are being more likely to form addictions, a need for caffeine or other stimulants, and gaining weight."

This is from the book of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Depression:

“Caffeine is on my Foods to Avoid list, and here’s why. The problem is that, like sugar, caffeine can take you on a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs during the day, and you may wind up extremely dependent on it. When you stop taking caffeine, you may experience significant withdrawal effects, including severe headaches, mood swings, and fatigue. Caffeine stimulates your nervous system and your adrenal glands, which produces stress. It’s also been shown that people who drink the most coffee often experience chronic depression. A more direct association between caffeine and depression, however, is that it inhibits the brain’s levels of serotonin and the hormone into which it converts, melatonin, which aids in sleep. In addition, caffeine depletes the body of nutrients that are essential to maintaining good mood, including vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium and the B vitamins. Caffeine also hinders the normal metabolism of GABA, which is manufactured in the intestines and, like serotonin, calms stress and anxiety.”

Caffeine. Avoid coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate. (Okay, you can have a limited amount of organic dark chocolate on occasion.) If you must have coffee, choose an organic coffee, since most coffees are high in pesticides. Decaffeinated coffee is fine for most people, provided that it is organic and does not use toxic chemicals in processing.

"One reason I wanted to test various health tools was to get a better handle on my sleep. People are pretty much in agreement that sleep can influence your productivity and error rates. But, what constitutes good sleep and can you score it?"